Repair help w/ a cordless trimmer

I have a cordless Craftsman hedge trimmer, # 240.74802 in which I can't get to charge. The unit is about 3.5 yrs old with limited use.

I plug the unit in to charge and as I have done numerous times and the red light on the charger comes on showing that it is charging. Numerous hrs later(1 plus days) it is still "charging." Never turns green on the charger or actually charges up. If I attempt to run the trimmer while still in the charger unit, the trimmer runs but if I take the trimmer out of the trimmer charger, it does nothing.

Any ideas what the problem could be? Is it possibly the trimmer, the charger, both?? I don't want to have to take it somewhere to look at it because they will probably charge me about as much to look at it as a new one may cost....I took it back to Sears and they were of no help. Any assistance would be appreciated.

"Cordless electrics. Battery-powered trimmers combine the mobility of gas models with the convenience, clean running, and easy maintenance of plug-ins, courtesy of an onboard battery (14.4 volt to 24 volt). But they offer relatively little power and no more than about 45 minutes' run time per charge. They can also cost as much as gas-powered models. Price: $70 to $120."

To find out if your battery can be rebuilt open the Trimmer to find the battery. You will most likely find:

A Set of 12 to 20 Ni-Cad batteries wired in series or

A Battery Pack that contains the above batteries

If #1 then your best shot is to find a local Battery rebuilder (they remove the batteries one by one and use a spot welder to wire in new replacement batteries).

If #2 when the battery pack is not a sealed unit and where the pack can be opened without destroying the outer shell, then the pack can either be rebuilt locally (as in #1) or it can be mailed to a rebuilder. This also works with any cordless tool battery as long as the outer plastic shell is held together with screws so that it can be taken apart.

Rebuild your own battery pack. You can order batteries online with solder tabs already spot welded on them. It is not that hard. My guess that you have sub C batteries in it. How many volts is it? Ncad and Nmh are 1.2 volts per battery. Make sure you use the same chemistry that you already have in the trimmer. The charger is specific to the type of battery and are not interchangeable.

Once you crack open the case you will see how the batteries are put together. It is a good idea not to take them apart until you have the other pack soldered up.

I have rebuilt several battery packs with good success Give it a try, this is a DIY site after all.

edit: you can even rebuild a sealed battery, it just takes a little patience to crack open the case. You will usually see were the two pieces were glued together, just take a sharp knife and slowly keep going around the glue joint applying pressure. Do not rush this as you will crack the case. You may have to go around several times before you are able to get it open.

I have the same trimmer - it is the battery

I have the same trimmer. Even though you can find a 12V Power-Core battery by searching the web, the only place you'll find an exact match is at www.searspartdirect.com. Unfortunately, it is priced at $44.52 per battery. The unit has 2 (it is a 24 volt battery operated trimmer). The other ones I found were not the same part number (p/n 100575) nor were they the same amperage or size. As an example, search for "Power-Core Battery" and you'll find a site http://www.advantagehobby.com/produc...cat=528&page=1. The size and amps are close, but not exact (12V/1.2 AH vs 12V/1.3AH for the trimmer). It's only $14.99 but I have no idea if it will really fit or work (it would probably work electrically, but I'm not sure if it fit right physically). I dumped my trimmer and bought a new Black and Decker gas trimmer. I liked my battery operated one while it worked, but it seems a bit expensive to me to have to spend $85 every 2 or 3 years just to keep it charged...